The firm was founded in 1997 by Robert J. Wise Jr., who has 20 years
of experience in the historic preservation field. He is assisted by Seth Hinshaw,
Senior Planner, who has been with the firm since 2001. Both planners have M.S.
degrees in historic preservation from the University of Pennsylvania and
exceed the 36 CFR 61 Professional Qualification Standards established by the
National Park Service for architectural historians.

Eagles Mere Historic District Expanded

On June 4, the Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commissionís Preservation Board voted
unanimously to officially nominate an expansion of the Eagles Mere Historic District to the
National Register of Historic Places. Located in the Borough of Eagles Mere and Shrewsbury
Township, Sullivan County, the nomination doubles the size of the existing 500-acre district
(listed in 1996) by adding Eagles Mere Lake and lands to the north, east and west of the
lake that include the resort communityís historic trail system. These trails include the
Red, White and Green Arrow Paths, and parts of the Yellow Arrow, Loyalsock Canyon Vista
Trail, and the former Eagles Mere Railroad grade. Along with the Laurel Path (in the original
district), many of these paths have been in constant use for over 100 years. The trails and
their adjacent forestland augment the districtís conservation and recreation areas of
significance; the district is recognized for its statewide importance. The expansion will
be officially listed to the National Register of Historic Places sometime this summer by
the National Park Service.

The trail system and early protection of adjacent land was engineered by several individuals
responsible for the way Eagles Mere looks today. Horace McFarland, a nationally recognized
conservationist, designed several "Arrow" paths to allow visitors to enjoy nature without
being too strenuous. According to Robert Wise, a historic preservation planner who prepared
the nomination, McFarland was going to call the Red Arrow Path the "North Woods Trail."
It was soon called the Red Arrow Path however, after the trails were blazed with red arrows
using leftover paint from his shed. The White, Green and Yellow Arrow Paths soon adopted
their respective arrows and color schemes. Little has changed since these paths were laid
out in the early 1900s. Captain Embley Chase, a land manager who developed so much of the
town's infrastructure, laid out the Laurel Path and helped design the Eagles Mere Railway
(now a scenic path). The trails loop around the village and lake, reaching natural
destinations such as the Labyrinth, Eagle Rocks, Prospect Rocks, Fat Man's Squeeze and Big
Spring.

With this addition, the Historic District now includes approximately 98% of Eagles Mere
Lake's 435-acre watershed. Protection of this watershed has always been a priority, but
has become an area of more concern as hydraulic "fracking" activities for natural gas
comes increasingly closer to Eagles Mere. The Protect Eagles Mere Alliance (PEMA), a
nonprofit organization started in 2010 to help protect Eagles Mere from negative impacts
of the natural gas industry, spearheaded the nomination. PEMA President Shannon Baker
explains, "PEMA was happy to take the lead on this collaborative effort within the community
to further emphasize the historical value of Eagles Mere. The new expanded designation
will add a layer of review and possibly protection to areas that are of historic
significance now and for future generations."

The project received support from the Eagles Mere Association (who owns and manages the
lake), the Eagles Mere Conservancy, the Eagles Mere Park Association and the Borough of
Eagles Mere. The expanded historic district includes land owned by these entities, the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and private landowners, who were also in support of this
project.